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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Lovely book. Loved the way the three stories were interwoven. Thought there was still one item left unknown at the end- the people in the present knew Bobbie was adopted but not his real monther.
I love books that pair historical fiction with a contemporary perspective. So the second I started reading this book, I knew I would love it. In 2021, Emma works to restore the gardens at Highbury House to their former glory. Venetia Smith planned and built the gardens in 1907. And the house served as a requisitioned military hospital in 1944 when Beth was a nearby Land Girl, Stella was the cook of Highbury House, and Diana Symonds was its owner. The story tells all three timelines.
The gardens sound gorgeous with many rooms flowing from the house. I similarly loved the description of digging in the soil and the joy it brings. As a budding gardener, I treasured so many of the descriptions in this book. But the book was truly focused on the women's lives and finding their place.
I found that I couldn't put the book down. I was entirely wrapped up in each woman's story, and I dearly wanted to know what would happen to them, and to the garden that twined them together. The three timelines wove together so well.
I recommend this book for those who enjoy multiple perspectives, historical fiction, or learning about historical homes and gardens. It's out today!
Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC.
The gardens sound gorgeous with many rooms flowing from the house. I similarly loved the description of digging in the soil and the joy it brings. As a budding gardener, I treasured so many of the descriptions in this book. But the book was truly focused on the women's lives and finding their place.
I found that I couldn't put the book down. I was entirely wrapped up in each woman's story, and I dearly wanted to know what would happen to them, and to the garden that twined them together. The three timelines wove together so well.
I recommend this book for those who enjoy multiple perspectives, historical fiction, or learning about historical homes and gardens. It's out today!
Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC.
This is a triple timeline story in which each character is connected by the gardens of Highbury House. A little mystery, a little romance, and a little history kept me reading until the end. This is not a thriller, page turner but a nice story. I loved learning about the Land Girls involvement during WWII and of course I enjoyed learning the garden aspects.
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Unlike other historical fiction books, it didn't touch my heart was deep emotion wise. The timeline wasn't that confusing though I had to refer back to the summary for procedural clarification. Despite being a thin book, the beginning wasn't that interesting. It wasn't until two thirds through did I get invested. However, when I did get finish it, I didn't regret reading about the life of three different women of different times get connected by a garden. I do wish the beginning was faster paced, though.
This book is centered around a garden at a Scotland estate. It takes on three different time periods with multiple characters in each time period. It is too much and too cumbersome. The characters are also
not very interesting. I did learn that gardening is stressful and means you have no time for karaoke. I did like the descriptions of the gardens themselves but it wasn’t enough to keep me from wondering why we needed so many characters when truly a linear story would do. I really am getting over this trend. If you want to write about the 1920s or 1940s please just do it. We don’t need a current day discovery of some old lost thing- here a garden. This device in writing is starting to break me.
not very interesting. I did learn that gardening is stressful and means you have no time for karaoke. I did like the descriptions of the gardens themselves but it wasn’t enough to keep me from wondering why we needed so many characters when truly a linear story would do. I really am getting over this trend. If you want to write about the 1920s or 1940s please just do it. We don’t need a current day discovery of some old lost thing- here a garden. This device in writing is starting to break me.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
As someone who loves digging in the dirt, I enjoyed this foray into garden design. I have my BLA in Landscape Architecture and I loved the intertwined stories.
Found family and feelings of belonging are key themes in this read.
Found family and feelings of belonging are key themes in this read.
mysterious
medium-paced